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Environments, Volume 11, Issue 5

2024 May - 18 articles

Cover Story: San Francisco Bay’s sediment is currently monitored for a variety of contaminants; however, data regarding the microplastics (MPs) in the area are still scarce. Moreover, Bay sediment is also an important matrix for monitoring because sediment tends to accumulate certain contaminants and act as a source of contaminants in the Bay food web. This study analyzed MPs ranging from 25 µm to 5 mm in surface sediment grab samples (n = 8) and two sediment core samples (n = 2 cores analyzed with 11 samples from different depths). Our findings provide an evaluation of MP levels in different regions of the Bay. The MP levels detected in Bay surface grab samples ranged from 2.1 to 11.9 MPs/g dry weight (n = 8), with a mean value of 6.2 MPs/g. The most abundant morphology was fibers, followed by fragments and films. View this paper
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Articles (18)

  • Article
  • Open Access
7 Citations
3,734 Views
16 Pages

A Microplastic Pollution Hotspot: Elevated Levels in Sediments from the San Francisco Bay Area

  • Lara Dronjak,
  • Joaquim Rovira,
  • Diana Lin,
  • June-Soo Park,
  • Sutapa Ghosal,
  • Nora Expósito,
  • Marta Schuhmacher and
  • Jordi Sierra

San Francisco Bay’s sediment is currently monitored for a variety of contaminants; however, data regarding the microplastics (MPs) in the area are still scarce. MPs’ occurrence in sediment samples has gained recognition as a reservoir for...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,796 Views
15 Pages

Iron Oxide-Activated Carbon Composites for Enhanced Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Hardwood

  • Amine Lataf,
  • Andrew E. Khalil Awad,
  • Bjorn Joos,
  • Robert Carleer,
  • Jan Yperman,
  • Sonja Schreurs,
  • Jan D’Haen,
  • Ann Cuypers and
  • Dries Vandamme

A commercial activated carbon (AC) was modified through iron oxide incorporation to obtain microwave absorbers (MWAs) for microwave-assisted pyrolysis. The influence of iron oxide content (5 and 20 wt% Fe3O4) and the modification methods were tested...

  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
3,656 Views
13 Pages

Removal of Residual Chlorine from Stormwater Using Low-Cost Adsorbents and Phytoremediation

  • Marina Valentukeviciene,
  • Ieva Andriulaityte,
  • Agnieszka Karczmarczyk and
  • Ramune Zurauskiene

In recent decades, the pollution of water with micropollutants has become an increasing environmental concern. Since 2019, increased stormwater pollution from chlorine-based disinfectants has been recorded due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Runoff from di...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
2,995 Views
14 Pages

Integrating Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Mobility Data to Predict SARS-CoV-2 Cases

  • Hannes Schenk,
  • Rezgar Arabzadeh,
  • Soroush Dabiri,
  • Heribert Insam,
  • Norbert Kreuzinger,
  • Monika Büchel-Marxer,
  • Rudolf Markt,
  • Fabiana Nägele and
  • Wolfgang Rauch

Wastewater-based epidemiology has garnered considerable research interest, concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictive public health interventions and mobility limitations are measures to avert a rising case prevalence. The current study integrates...

  • Review
  • Open Access
11 Citations
7,412 Views
22 Pages

Mine Site Restoration: The Phytoremediation of Arsenic-Contaminated Soils

  • Feizia Huslina,
  • Leadin S. Khudur,
  • Kalpit Shah,
  • Aravind Surapaneni,
  • Pacian Netherway and
  • Andrew S. Ball

Arsenic (As) is considered one of the most toxic chemicals to both human and environmental health. Mining activities represent one of the main anthropogenic sources of As; the concentration of As in mine soil can reach 9300 mg kg−1. To overcome...

  • Article
  • Open Access
10 Citations
3,148 Views
13 Pages

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a crucial challenge in urban areas characterized by high energy consumption and reduced exposure to nature. In this context, the urban green system could play a pivotal role. In the literature, scholars have analy...

  • Article
  • Open Access
20 Citations
9,570 Views
28 Pages

This article focuses on the reuse and recycling of end-of-life (EOL) lithium-ion batteries (LIB) in the USA in the context of the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market. Due to the recent increase in the enactment of both current and pending re...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
6,047 Views
13 Pages

A Droplet-Based Microfluidic Impedance Flow Cytometer for Detection of Micropollutants in Water

  • Mohammadreza Aghel,
  • Somayeh Fardindoost,
  • Nishat Tasnim and
  • Mina Hoorfar

Microplastics as micropollutants are widely spread in aquatic areas that can have a toxic effect on aquatic life. To reduce the potential risk they pose, it is essential to detect the microplastics and the source of the contamination of the environme...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
5,213 Views
18 Pages

Drought has emerged as a major challenge to global food and water security, and is particularly pronounced for Algeria, which frequently grapples with water shortages. This paper sought to monitor and assess the temporal and spatial distribution of d...

  • Article
  • Open Access
2,343 Views
17 Pages

Assessing the Interpretability–Performance Trade-Off of Artificial Neural Networks Using Sentinel Fish Health Data

  • Patrick G. McMillan,
  • Zeny Z. Feng,
  • Tim J. Arciszewski,
  • Robert Proner and
  • Lorna E. Deeth

A number of sentinel species are regularly sampled from the environment near the Oil Sands Region (OSR) in Alberta, Canada. In particular, trout-perch are sampled as a proxy for the health of the aquatic ecosystem. As the development of the OSR began...

  • Article
  • Open Access
9 Citations
3,565 Views
11 Pages

Lithium Toxicity in Lepidium sativum L. Seedlings: Exploring Li Accumulation’s Impact on Germination, Root Growth, and DNA Integrity

  • Valentina Iannilli,
  • Gianluca D’Onofrio,
  • Davide Marzi,
  • Laura Passatore,
  • Fabrizio Pietrini,
  • Lorenzo Massimi and
  • Massimo Zacchini

The predicted increase in demand for minor metals for modern technologies raises major concerns regarding potential environmental concentration increases. Among the minor metals, lithium (Li) is particularly noteworthy due to growing demand for batte...

  • Communication
  • Open Access
3 Citations
2,858 Views
9 Pages

TiO2-Coated Meltblown Nonwoven Fabrics Prepared via Atomic Layer Deposition for the Inactivation of E. coli as a Model Photocatalytic Drinking Water Treatment System

  • Alexander G. Aragon,
  • Jaime A. Cárdenas Sánchez,
  • Carlos Zimeri,
  • Eunkyoung Shim,
  • Xiaomeng Fang and
  • Kyana R. L. Young

The controlled manufacturing of semiconductor photocatalysts is crucial to their development for drinking water treatment. In this study, TiO2-coated meltblown nonwoven fabrics prepared via Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) are applied for the inactivati...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
2,826 Views
16 Pages

The current geopolitical and energy market instability calls for speeding up the EU clean energy transition to increase energy security in all the European regions and make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Among renewable energies,...

  • Article
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,882 Views
15 Pages

Aquatic Bacterial Community Connectivity: The Effect of Hydrological Flow on Community Diversity and Composition

  • Javad Sadeghi,
  • Clare J. Venney,
  • Shelby Wright,
  • James Watkins,
  • Dana Manning,
  • Edel Bai,
  • Chelsea Frank and
  • Daniel D. Heath

Microbial communities are vital components of freshwater ecosystems due to their role in nutrient cycling and energy flow; however, the mechanisms driving their variation are still being explored. In aquatic systems, water flow (hydrology) can impact...

  • Article
  • Open Access
8 Citations
2,901 Views
13 Pages

Numerous organic chemicals exist within aquatic environments, yet effectively screening and prioritizing them is a huge challenge. This study provides a comprehensive investigation into the ecological dynamics of the North Oconee River within Athens-...

  • Article
  • Open Access
6 Citations
4,462 Views
34 Pages

Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes, collectively known as BTEX compounds, are significant emerging contaminants in municipal wastewater. Stricter effluent quality regulations necessitate their removal, especially with concerns about organic m...

  • Article
  • Open Access
4 Citations
4,926 Views
21 Pages

Cataracts are ocular conditions characterized by the opacification of the natural lens within the eye, which develops gradually over time and can affect one or both eyes. This condition commonly results from age-related changes in the lens, but can a...

  • Opinion
  • Open Access
3 Citations
3,937 Views
6 Pages

The intense human pressures in the Anthropocene epoch are causing an alarming decline in marine coastal ecosystems and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. This situation underscores the urgency of making ecological restoration a global priority to...

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Environments - ISSN 2076-3298